Career Opportunities for Language Experts and Linguists

Are you fascinated by linguistics like J.R.R. Tolkien? Can you master foreign languages easily and speak with ease? Do you happen to be bilingual or trilingual? There are several amazing career prospects waiting for you. We have listed 5 different opportunities.

1, Lexicographer: Lexicographers are your common language and literature enthusiasts. They write, compile and edit dictionaries for native speakers, learners of different languages. You must have seen that every year, new editions of the similar language books are published. That is because lexicogrpahers monitor and record new words to keep lexicons and dictionaries uptodate and check the accuracy of their own texts.

A degree in linguistics, modern languages or classics might be needed. Fluency in a foreign langauge is an absolute plus for aspiring bilingual lexicographers.

2, Forensic linguist: Forensic linguists might be a more exciting profession than it sounds. It is the application of linguistic knowledge to the forensic context of law, language, crime investigation, trial, and judicial procedure. Forensic linguists perform language analysis on emergency calls, suicide notes, threat communication. They also work on legal proceedings for law firms, criminal investigations, find employment in the government on matters of national security.

3, Translator: This is an obvious one. Working in translation might be a demanding work where you translate verbal or written speech. It is not easy, because you’d be expected to churn out 2,000 to 3,000 words on a daily basis. However translators are in high demand. An example is the European Union, where the 28 member states require consistent translations. If you would be interested, you can apply here.

Typically a career in this field will involve liaising with clients, consulting specialist on legalities and using reference books to find precise translations for industry jargon. Whether freelance or work for a company, you would be expected to specialise in a specific field like: law, education, policy, international affairs, trade, commerce, literature or science.

4, Foreign Language Teacher: We are familiar with teaching. After all, we all spent years in school learning languages. As a foreign language teacher, you’ll probably do what your teachers had done for you. Spend your days preparing lessons, marking exam papers, instructing pupils, liaising with parents and attending teacher meetings. There are plenty of well paid jobs in teaching foreign languages (mainly English) in South-East Asian countries.

5, Speech Language Pathologist: This career prospect is somewhat closer to healthcare, but language skills do play a major role. Speech language pathologist is someone who is qualified to evaluate, diagnose and treat a broad range of communication and swallowing disorders in patients.

There are plenty of other job opportunities related to linguists like Data Scientists, language professors, audiologists and/or sign language experts.